Break Away
by TAUT13
Summary: Mari never knew her father and doesn't want to. Richard can't seem to keep sense of responsibility or a girlfriend. What happenes when these two lives cross. What secrets will come back from the past?
1. Chapter 1

So, this is the first chapter of Break Away. As usual, I own nothing but the plot. This has nothing to do with The Apple. Speaking of which, I will have the next chapter of Apple up soon. I promise. So now enjoy my new story.

"Wake up, Mari! You're going to be late!" rang through out the small apartment. Movement came from a bed in the only bedroom. A hand hit a radio on a box and music started to play.

_Na na na na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na na na na na na na na na na. _

The figure rolled out of bed, stretched, and shook its head. Long black hair flowed down. "I'm up, Ma!" The girl shouted.

_I guess I just lost my husband. I don't know where he went. So I'm going to drink my money, I'm not going to pay his rent._

The girl, Mari, walked up to some boxes and threw things out of them. "No… No... Eww… Ain't gonna happen…" She lifted up a pair of jeans. "Perfect." She soon started rummaging through another box for a cute top match it.

_I've got a brand new attitude and I'm going to wear it tonight. I wanna get in trouble. I wanna start a fight. Na na na na na na na. I wanna start a fight. Na na na na na na na. I wanna start a fight._

She started brushing her hair, looking at her blue eyes in a mirror. It was her first day at Gotham Central High School. It was also the start of her first full week in Gotham. Mari and her mom moved around a lot, usually living in apartments. Mari never knew her father and never wants to meet him.

_So, so what I'm still a rock star. I've got my rock moves and I don't need you. And guess what? I'm having more fun, and now that we're done, I'm going to show you tonight. I'm alright. I'm just fine, and you're a tool. So, so what. I am a rock star, I got my rock moves, and I don't need you tonight._

Mari sang into her brush and danced around during the chorus of the song. She always believed that no matter where you move to, music will stay the same. Music was her life. As the chorus ended, she leaned over her bed to turn off the radio, grabbed her book bag and a pair of tennis shoes and headed out the door and into the living room/ kitchen/ Kori's bedroom.

Kori was sitting at a small round table with a small box on it. "Good morning, Baby Doll. Are you ready to start a new school?" She looked up from the box of kitchen wears she was unpacking. Mari sat down at the table across from her mother and grabbed an apple.

"No. Why can't you jus home school me again like we did back in Arizona? I really don't want to go to school," Mari said as she put on her shoes. "All schools are the same," Mari mumbled, grabbing her bag and putting some hair behind her ear. "I have to go. Bye, Mom. Have a good day at work. Be safe!" She called as she ran through the door, down the hallway and stairs, and out onto the street.

"Master Richard, you need to get moving or you're going to be late for work again," A stiff British-accented voice said from outside of a big oak door. From a bed a figure moved. Sitting up, one could tell that it was an adult male with black hair. He stretched, trying to wake up. He walked over to a huge oak wardrobe, looking for a suit to wear. After finding one that he didn't hate, he went downstairs for some breakfast before going to the job he was forced to go to.

"Good morning, Al," The man, named Richard, said to the old man in the kitchen. The old man turned around and smiled at him.

"Good morning, Master Richard. Breakfast?" Alfred smiled, handing Richard a plate of eggs.

"No thanks, Al. Just coffee." Richard was handed a mug of the black liquid instead.

"Don't forget, Sir, this week you, Master Bruce, and I need to look at the applications for temporary fill-ins for me," Alfred said as he dumped the plate of eggs into the garbage. "I need to go home for my niece's wedding."

"I'll remember, Al. I have to go. See you later." And with that, Richard was out of the large front door, heading toward work downtown at Wayne Enterprises for another boring, uneventful day.

Well, what did you think? I would like to know. Also, the title Break Away is only temporary. If you have any suggestions as to a better title, put it in with your review. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

So, for the two people that reviewed to the premere of this story. To the rest of you, please tell me what you think of it. And yes, this is probable a generic idea, but it's my idea. Thank you for reading my rant. I don't mean to make anyone mad, i just needed to rant a little.

I own nothing by the way.

As the first week went by, Mari was ready to just ditch school altogether. The other students called her street rat because of her hand-me-down clothes and year-old shoes. Although she was smart, coming in in the middle of the year caused Mari to fall far behind.

Lunch time was worst. The first day, she sat at a table outside by herself, until a bunch of rich snobs kicked her out of the table. If a teacher hadn't been walking by the group, Mari would have gotten her face busted in by the snobs. So everyday following the incident, she started eating her lunch under the stairs out of everyone's way.

Friday, as she walked up the stairs toward her apartment with probably the heaviest book bag in the world, she heard her Mom yell through the door.

"No, you can't do this to me! I've only been there a week, how can you lay me off in just a week?" Mari stopped dead in her tracks and listened through the door. "I understand. Is there anything else I can do there? I can clean up. Please, I'll do anything. … I get it. Thanks." Mari fell to the floor. She couldn't handle moving again. Besides, it's expensive to move and they didn't have enough right now. Mari got up, dusted herself off, counted to ten to calm down, and opened the door.

"Hey, Mom, what are you doing home so early?" Kori sat at the

kitchen table with her head in her hands. Next to her was a letter and the phone. There was also a newspaper on the floor.

"Honey, you're home!" Kori quickly grabbed the letter and stuffed it under a stack of mail.

"How was school today? Have you made any friends yet?" Mari rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, so many new friends, I can barely keep track of them." Mari said, moving her book bag to the floor.

"Well that's good, honey." Mari gave a confused look to her mother. Although she has a hard time with sarcasm, Kori can normally tell when Mari was using it.

"I have some homework that I need to get working on. I'll be in my room, Mom." Mari gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and reached down to her book bag.

"Okay. I have a few things I need to finish unpacking. Yell if you need help," Kori said. She smiled and went toward a box and started unpacking it. Mari walked into her room, shut her door, turned on her radio and sat on her bed. Mari pulled her long hair into a pony tail and pulled out the newspaper she snuck into her room.

"Mom may not be able to get a job, but I can," Mari said, thumbing through the thick paper to find the "Help Wanted" section. Reaching into her bag, Mari pulled out a pen and started circling things. "This is going to be a bit harder than I thought," Mari added as she was looking at everything, including the words "experience necessary".

"Next!" Richard shouted to a plump, Hispanic woman. The woman left with a sorrowful face and walked out. Richard crossed out the name on a sheet of paper and started shuffling some resumes.

"What was wrong with that one?" Bruce asked, looking at his son. "She was perfect. She worked at a five-star hotel, she went to culinary school. What was wrong?"

"Yeah. She worked at a five-star hotel, but do you remember that party we went to at the hotel for the founder of the Children's Foundation and the cake decorators had to get that new cake because the maids ate it? Well, she's one of them." Richard stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"Master Richard, you need to pick someone before next week if you want me to train them well enough." Richard just looked up from the glass of water he was drinking.

"Let's just end tonight and try again tomorrow," Bruce offered, running a hand through his hair. "Just try not to scare anymore people," Bruce threatened. Richard smirked back.

"Whatever. I'm going to call Melina. See you guys later." Richard put the glass into the sink and walked out of the kitchen towards the garage.

"I hope that someone answers that ad in the newspaper," Bruce said after the young man walked out of the room.

"Do you think that it was best to put the ad in the newspaper, sir?" Alfred asked, washing the cup that was used.

"The people need to know that I treat everyone with the same respect and would offer anyone a job in this recession." Alfred just looked at him. "Fine. I'm having them send in their resumes in and I'm doing a background check," Bruce admitted sheepishly.

"I know you too well, Master Bruce," Alfred said with a smile and a shake of his head.

Please review. I don't really have anything to put down here. Sorry it's short.


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't forget about this story. So if you are reading this, great! I had to finish Apple. Also, sorry if it seems kind of rushed or soemthing. This is like the beginning part of a roller coster, going up to get to the good stuff. Hope you enjoy. Please review!

Mari went through school day with her head down, counting the minutes until school was over. The second the bell rang, Mari ran to her locker and got out her skateboard and bookbag. When she was a good distance away from the school, she stopped on the sidewalk and pulled out her cell phone and dialed one of the only numbers she had. "Hey Mom, it's not a bad time I hope."

"Not really, Honey. What's wrong?" Mari was in the middle of the sidewalk. "I'm staying after school for a while. I'm getting some help with catching up in the school work. I'm gonna call when I get done."

"Okay, Honey. Be careful. If it's too dark or you're too scared, feel free to call me." Mari rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I will. I have to go. Love you. Bye." Mari hung up the phone and started to skate down the sidewalk until someone ran into her on the corner. Mari fell off her board and the girl she ran into also fell.

"I'm so sorry," Mari said, standing up and giving a hand to help the girl up. She had black hair with green and purple tips.

"No prob. I wasn't looking where I was going," the girl said as she stood up. She then bent down and grabbed Mari's board.

"You're very nice. If I ran into anyone at my school, they would have yelled their head off." The girl just laughed.

"Not everyone here in this town is mean. I'm Elle." She held her hand out.

"Mari." She shook her hand. "I'm really sorry, but I have to get going." Elle just smiled.

"No prob. You wanna do something sometime?" Mari nodded and took out her phone. Elle got out hers. They exchanged and put in each other's number. As they said goodbye, Mari took the skateboard and started skating away towards the outskirts of town.

"Please let this job work," she prayed as she skated up to the gates of Wayne Manor. "Please."

"Come on, Richard. That was the last one. Isn't there one you liked?" Bruce asked, looking at the applications of all of the housekeepers.

"No." Richard stood up from the dining room table and went into the kitchen to get something to drink. "Look, don't you think we're big enough to take care of this house for a month without Al?"

Bruce looked into the kitchen. "When was the last you cleaned your room or made your own meal? The month Al is gone, we're going to be really busy and won't have time to do all of this stuff ourselves."

Richard walked back in, muttering to himself. Alfred soon walked in.

"Sirs, there is one more applicant." Bruce and Richard looked at each other.

"Bring them in," Bruce said. Richard rolled his eyes and sat down. Alfred soon came back with a girl holding a skateboard. Her hair was jet black and she was using a pair of sunglasses to hold back her bangs. Her eyes were blue and she had on a backpack. "What's your name, young lady?" Bruce asked. Richard wasn't even looking at the girl.

"I'm Mari. Mari Anders. I'm sorry if I'm late, but there was some traffic as I left school."

Richard looked up after hearing her last name, thinking she was someone else. After looking this girl over, he just rolled his eyes. "Look, this isn't for little kids. Are you even old enough to work?"

Mari took her book bag off and started to dig through it. She soon pulled out a piece of paper and got into a pocket in the front.

"I downloaded an application from online. Here's my ID." She handed the paper and ID to Bruce.

"Steel City?" he asked as he looked up at Mari. She nodded her head.

"Yeah, my mom and I just moved here." Bruce looked the application over.

"Do you have any experience cooking and cleaning?"

"Well, sort of. My mom usually works early and comes home late, so it's up to me to do all of the cooking and cleaning in my house," she explained. Bruce looked the application over again.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, but I don't think that you're qualified for this job." Mari took a deep breath.

"Please, I really need this job. We just moved here and my mom's already been laid off of work. It was already hard for us. Please, I need this job." Richard looked at the sadness in the girl's eyes. He wrote on a piece of paper in front of him and showed it too Bruce.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Richard just nodded. Seeing this, Mari just lowered her head.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'll just show myself to the door." Mari started walking away.

"Would you be able to start after school tomorrow?" Bruce asked.

Mari lifted her head. "Yeah. Do I have the job?" Bruce nodded.

"Oh, thank you." Bruce stood up and held his hand out. Mari ran up and took hold of it, shaking it hard. "Thank you so much. You won't regret it." Mari ran out with her board. Bruce just smiled and looked at Richard.

"What about her changed your mind? Was it her story, her enthusiasm, or the fact that her name is spelled exactly like-"

"No!" Richard said quickly. "I just felt sorry for her. I think the kid needs a break. I mean, did you look at her bag and board? Her bag was just fabric and duct tape. And her board is falling to pieces," Richard said as he walked into the kitchen. Bruce just smiled, nodded, and followed him.

"Well, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how she works out."


	4. Author's note

Hey there everyone. TAUT here.

I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive.

I realize that it has been a while since I last updated. Time has been slipping by. Since I last updated any of my stories I have graduated from high school1 and started college. I appreciate all of you that are still reading this and are still interested in my stories. I promise I have been writing things, but nothing I can publish just yet. I stuck on chapters for all of my stories. I promise, as soon as I work a few things out I'll post them the second I can. I know where I want to go with all of them; I just don't know how to get there just yet.


	5. Chapter 4

Mari was great on that first day of work. Mari was soon hired to take the job. Over the next few weeks, Mari found it easy to juggle work and school. Everyday during lunch she would call Elle, who was on her lunch break and confirm their plans after school. As much as she didn't want Elle to know, their call during lunch was the only thing Mari looked forward to during school. The other kids treated her horribly. After school, she quickly got her things together and rode her skateboard through the city and a bit outside the city to where Wayne Manor was located. During the ride, she would call her mom and tell her that she was heading over to Elle's house. Her mom always believer her, Mari never gave her a reason not to. When she reached the gates of Wayne Manor, she punched in the code that she was given into the gate to open it. She then rode the half mile driveway that lead to the front of the house and garage. Mari took a back pathway to the back of the garage to the entrance there. She would deposit her book bag after taking out her MP3 player and headset, and placed her skateboard up against the wall by the door and went in to get to work. While she cleaned she would listen to all of the novels that her literature teacher assigned at the beginning of the year. As she was dusting one of the rooms, she saw a large, baby grand piano. She tried to ignore it and continue to dust like she was suppose to. When she finished with the room, she took out her head set and looked around. "Bruce and Richard shouldn't be home till later, and Alfred is out running errands. No one will know." She opened up the keys and pressed down on some, making a beautiful chord. She then started to play a song.

"_Grew up in a small town, and when the rain would fall down, I'd just stare out my window. Dreaming of a could be, and if I'd end up happy, I would pray."_

_ "Trying hard to reach out, but when I tried to speak out, felt like no one could hear me. Wanted to belong here, but something felt so wrong here, so I prayed I could break away."_

Richard came home from work early. He was excepting the new girl to be running around, cleaning and cooking like she had been. As he started towards the stairs, he heard a piano playing. He followed the music to the room where he kept the piano. When he reached the door, he heard someone sing.

_ "I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly. I'll do what it takes, till I touch the sky. And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change and breakaway. Out of the darkness and into the sun, though I wont forget all the ones that I love. And I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway."_

Richard thought at first that he was just hearing a voice from the past, but when he opened the door a little, he saw the new girl playing the piano. He stood at the doorway, listening.

_"Wanna feel the warm breeze, sleep under a palm tree, Feel the rush of the ocean. Get onboard a fast train, travel on a jet plane, far away, and breakaway."_

_ "I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly. I'll do what it takes, till I touch the sky. And I'll, make a wish, take a chance make a change, and breakaway. Out of the darkness and into the sun, though I won't forget all the ones that I love. And I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway."_

Richard watched her as she played. Her eyes were closed and she would bob her head and sway with the music. It wasn't in a showy manner that some people do; she was just that far into the music.

_"Buildings with a hundred floors, swinging around revolving doors. Maybe I don't know where they'll take me be, gotta keep moving on, moving on. Fly away, break away."_

_ "I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly. Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye. I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and break away. Out of the darkness and into the sun, but I won't forget the place I come from. I gotta take risk, take a chance, make a change, and break away. Break away. Break away."_

When Mari finished her song, she slowly got up and placed the lid slowly back over the keys carefully. Just as she was about to get back to work, she hear Richard clear his throat. "Mr. Grayson, I'm so sorry." Richard took a step into the room and looked at the girl. Slowly a smile came to his lips.

"It's been a long time since someone has played this thing so wonderfully as you did." Mari blushed at the compliment as she pushed back a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you, Sir. I promise to get back to work now." Mari then turned around and went back to dusting the shelves.

"Where did you learn how to play?" Richard sat down on the piano bench.

"Well a few years back, my mom worked at a music store. The owner taught me until we moved. As a going away present, the owner got me a full size keyboard so I could keep practicing. My mom has continued to teach me whenever she has time." Mari then walked over to the wall by the door where she had the cleaning supplies. She replaced her duster with the broom and began sweeping. "I've never played on anything as beautiful as this piano though." For a second, in Richard's mind, Mari was replaced with a red head he used to know.

"How about we make a deal. You can come over anytime you want to play, but you have to have done all your work though." Mari dropped her broom and ran over and hugged the man in front of her.

"Thank you, Mr. Grayson. Thank you so much." Mari quickly stepped back and released him. "Sorry about that. My mom raised me as a hugger." Richard just smiled as left the room. Mari finished up the room and walked down to the kitchen. Alfred had already started cooking something Mari pulled back her hair, washed her hands, and started helping him cook.

When five came around, Mari packed up her things and left on her skateboard to the spot between Wayne Manor and downtown to meet up with Elle for a ride.

"So, how was work today?" Elle said with a giggle. Mari was all smiles today.

"Great. I though that I was going to get in trouble with my boss when he found out I was playing his piano. Instead, he told me I could play it whenever I want, as long as my work is done for the day."

"Sweet. So," Elle gave a quick look over and smiled, "what's our story today?"

"I'm thinking just a basic, sat around, talked, listened to music, started doing homework."

"Okay." Elle's stomach growled loudly. "How about we stop and get milkshakes. I know a great place that has not only vegan ice cream, but regular ice cream as well." Mari started to play with the trucks on her skateboard.

"I'm not sure, Elle. I have a lot of homework to work on and," Elle pulled the car over and looked at Mari.

"Okay, every night, I drive you from work to your house, I let you use me to like to your mom that we are hanging out together. And every night, when I suggest we actually hangout after work, you turn me down. I might not be smart, but I know when I'm being used." Mari didn't look Elle in the eyes. "So if you don't give me an real reason as to why we can't hangout I'm not going to drive you anymore." Mari took a deep breath.

"I'm poor. I don't have money to do some of the stuff you want to do. All the money I make from work goes to rent, groceries, and then I'm saving the rest to maybe be able to get my mom a birthday present later this year." Mari waited a few seconds before looking up at her friend. Elle had a dumbfounded look on her face, before she leaned over the middle council pulled Mari into a hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that everything I was offering involved money. How about this, I buy the milkshakes this time, and we head to Central Park and I'll show you my favorite spot in the park and we can just sit and talk." Mari was going to argue when Elle held her hand up. "I won't take 'no' for an answer on me buying." Mari smiled.

"Sure, sounds like fun."

Mari called her mom from the park and told her what they were doing and where they were. She knew that they would be late coming home, and that her mom would worry about her. When Mari and Elle stayed at the park and talked until almost nine that night. Elle offered to give Mari some of her old clothes. Mari told her she didn't want to take her hand-me-downs. Elle then explained that Mari could come over and Elle could customize the clothes so they could look almost designer. The girls talked about their schools, music, and whatever came to their head. Mari still had some of her large mint chocolate milkshake with peanut butter cups when she got home. Kori smiled when Mari came in. Mari sat down on the couch and pulled out her textbooks and her notebooks. Kori sat down next to her daughter and grabbed one of the notebooks. She flipped it open and saw a list that was on one of the pages in the back.

"Mari, what's this?" Mari looked up from her math homework.

"Pre-calculus?" Mari answered before she saw the notebook in her mom's hands. "Oh that," Mari took a breath and swallowed, "that's some ideas for my birthday list." Kori took a look at the list:

1. Chocolate chip pancakes

2. Day off from school

3. Mom has a day off from work

There were a lot of things that were scratched off the list a few times and other things were rewritten, but there was one that stuck out to Kori:

17. My dad's name

That entry had been crossed out and rewritten the most. Kori closed the notebook and kissed the top of Mari's head before heading to kitchen. Mari watched her mom cook out of the corner of her eye. Every time her mom reached for something that shouldn't be in their meal, Mari would clear her throat loudly. They had developed this system after Kori accidentally gave Mari food poisoning from cooking years ago that ended badly.

"So are you going to hang out with Elle again tomorrow?" Mari put away the math and picked up the history book.

"Yep. I'm heading over to her house after school and then she'll drive me back afterwards, like we normally do." Kori smiled. Mari hadn't had a friend like this since they lived in the Bronx and Mari and the little girl that lived above them were friends. The little girl, Kori couldn't remember her name, taught Mari not only Spanish, but Portuguese as well. Mari still tried to keep contact with the girl, but it was hard without a constant phone number and no internet of their own for emails.

"Done for the night mom." Mari walked into the kitchen, pulled up her hair, washed her hands, and took over cooking for her mom. Kori sat down at their little kitchen table and smiled at her daughter. 'How did I raise such a great child?' Kori thought to herself.

Richard was sitting down in the dinning room, eating the meal Mari and Alfred prepared for him and Bruce. Bruce couldn't help but notice that Richard was in a good mood.

"So what's up with the good mood, Richard? You haven't popped the question to Melina yet, have you? I though you were waiting till your anniversary next month." Richard smiled.

"Yes, I am waiting for our anniversary to ask her. And it's nothing." Alfred walked into the room and refilled the two men's drinks.

"Mari, my young replacement, was playing the piano in the old study today." Bruce looked at Richard.

"Richard," Bruce's voice had a hinge of lecturing in it.

"It's not what you think, Bruce. And that's not why I'm happy." Richard sent a death glare towards the old butler, but it didn't phase him. "It was just that she reminded so much of," Richard stopped and just ended the sentence. "Anyways, the reason I'm happy is that Alfred just got off the phone not only are the Logan's coming, but the Stone's are as well to our party." Richard was smiling like a kid.

"Just make sure that you and Rachel don't start yelling at each other again, or that you and Vic don't start fighting again." Richard just shook his head.

"The Rachel and Gar are bringing their kids, so I think that they will be on their best behavior."

"Are you going to push Rachel like you did last time if she heard anything about," Richard slammed his fork and knife on the table.

"I am done talking about her. I got over her, and have someone new in my life that I love." Richard then stood up and left the dinning room. Bruce just sat their and finished his food in silence, trying to ignore the disappointed look on Alfred's face.

Later that night, Bruce was looking for Richard to apologize for pushing him. He found Richard in the old study with the piano, sitting on the bench with the lid still down on the keys. His head was on his hands and he was crying. Bruce sat down next to Richard and just placed a hand on Richard's back.

"Why do I still let her get inside my head like this? It's been over seventeen years and I still get defensive and become a blubbering mess whenever I mention her." Richard took a deep breath. "What did I do to make her leave like that?" Bruce just shook his head and let Richard cry it out.

So there you go. I was struck with the writing bug after I wrote my author's note. I had half of this written for a while, but needed inspiration for the rest. There is more to come. I've gotten over a big bump of writer's block. I'm not going to beg for reviews, but it's nice inspiration to write more often. And the girl that was Mari's friend from across the river is Cam from my Apple series. For those of you who haven't read that series, first, you should it's good (but I won't force you to), and second, she is a daughter of a Mexican immigrant and an American guy whose parent's are Brazilian immigrants. She was raised speaking a combination of both Portuguese and Spanish, but knows how to separate the two.


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